Consultation event on emerging preferred route for Letterkenny Southern Relief Road

Consultation event on emerging preferred route for Letterkenny’s Southern Relief Road

A public consultation event will be held on Thursday 21 June in Letterkenny Public Services Centre to view and comment on the proposed emerging preferred route for the Southern Relief Road in Letterkenny.  The event will take place from 2 to 8pm.

This follows a similar event held in early May where options for the Letterkenny Southern Relief Road were considered and the information gained during this event has informed the proposed emerging preferred route which will be presented at Thursday’s event.

Over the past 25 years, the Letterkenny Town Area has grown significantly, asserting itself as a primary commercial and retail hub for the north west region. However this growth has generated significant increases in car dependent traffic and subsequent congestion, which is evident in the town centre particularly at the retail area to the east of the Pearse Road.

In order to address some of the key issues in relation to infrastructure and transportation in this rapidly growing regional town, the Integrated Letterkenny Urban Transportation Study (ILUTS) was completed.  The main aim of the ILUTS was to identify transportation measures that could encourage modal shift, maintain the economic viability of the town centre and accommodate the sustainable development of the town.

The Southern Relief Road is identified within the ILUTS as a priority scheme that will be strategic in nature and facilitate traffic relief on a number of routes and also within the town centre.

The Southern Relief Road is a significant highway proposal and it is a comprehensive upgrade of the main road network in the south of the town of Letterkenny. The scheme entails online widening along the existing Leck Road (L1114) and some new offline road alignments. The scheme aims to alleviate traffic congestion in the town centre and along Port Road, encourage modal shift, improve access for residents and also to zoned residential lands as well as providing a bypass for traffic wishing to travel to west Donegal.

The extent of the Southern Relief Road being considered in this consultation process commences at the “Readymix” cross roads (junction of L1114 and L1094-1) in the townland of Drumnahoagh, traverses in a easterly direction and finishes at the junction of Rockhill Road and Leck Road (junction of L1114 and L1044) in the townland of Oldtown.

The section of the ‘emerging preferred route’ encompasses part of the overall project known as the Letterkenny Southern Relief Road. Separate infrastructure further to the east of the scheme incorporates Relief Road and Bridges which cross the Swilly River and links up with the R250 which will facilitate that link between the N14/13 to west Donegal (R250).  

All elements of the Southern Relief Road are being progressed by Donegal County Council subject to planning and the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) and the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport (DTTaS).

To find out more on the emerging preferred route, members of the public are invited to come along to the Letterkenny Public Service Centre from 2 to 8pm on Thursday 21 June 2018.